8 femmes (8 Women)
Cast: Fanny Ardant, Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Emmanuelle Béart, Danielle Darrieux, Virginie Ledoyen, Ludivine Sagnier, Firmine Richard
Director: François Ozon
Running time: 103 min
Release year: 2002
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Film review by George Sand
François Ozon's 8 femmes is a daringly original piece of musical murder mystery/comedy that star some of France's most glamorous and talented actresses. Ozon's adaptation from the French play "Huit Femmes" by Robert Thomas is a light-hearted celebration of cinema, but more important, of actresses.
With a setting that is deliberately artificial, the film is a satire which pays homage to Hollywood movies of the 1950's, as well as some of Europe's most celebrated directors such as Truffaut and Demy. An estrogen-filled soap opera with class that treads the fine line between masterpiece and disaster, 8 femmes has become an international hit and a classic in its own right under Ozon's direction, along with his eight secret weapons, the women.
In this light whodunit, family patriarch, Marcel, is found dead in his bedroom with a knife in his back. Each of the eight women has a motive. But the murder mystery is secondary as we explore the secrets and vulnerability of each of these women. The actresses keep us breathlessly drawn into this satire with style, as their secrets and revelations become more complex and shocking.
Admittedly, it took a couple of musical numbers before I got used to this unique and delightful gem. But by the time Isabelle Huppert finished her moving musical number Message Personnel, it was clear that we had something very special. Underneath all the silliness and bright colours, there is also depth and darkness. When Fanny Ardant's Pierrette finally makes her appearance, revealing her scarlet red hot dress and seducing the audience -- both on and off screen -- with Quoi Sert de Vivre Libre, there's no turning back! The film only gets better from this point on!
Much has been made of Fanny Ardant's seductive musical number as homage to Rita Hayworth in Gilda, but Fanny's interpretation has more sizzle than Hayworth's comparatively more old-fashioned number. This updated version with a more sophisticated and seductive Ardant is a potent package, which also allows the audience to catch a glimpse of the character's vulnerability.
Apart from the cinematic references to the Hollywood films of Douglas Sirk and George Cukor, 8 femmes also touches on some of the more personal references that are both funny and moving. The film is so packed with references that one needs an encyclopedia to keep track of them all. To director Ozon, everything is meant as a joke, but one cannot help but notice the poignancy as well.
The scene between Catherine Deneuve and Virginie Ledoyen, where mother reveals to daughter the true paternity of her father, Deneuve's last line is directly taken from two of Truffaut's films that she appeared in -- Mississippi Mermaid and The Last Metro. Deneuve says to Ledoyen, "...seeing you, having you so close to me...brings me both joy and pain..." (...une joie et une souffrance...), because her daughter reminds her of her great love, who died years ago (though, in Truffaut's films, it was referring to the beauty of Deneuve's characters). The camera then cuts to Fanny Ardant as Pierrette, looking very moved and sad as she overhears the conversation. Perhaps it was both personal for Fanny and in-character for Pierrette -- personal because of the reference to Truffaut, and in-character for Pierrette for showing a more human and vulnerable side of her character...and, a touch of unintended cruelty on Ozon's part, even if it's only meant as a homage to Truffaut.
There is an abundance of humour, however, later in the film when two of France's most beautiful and elegant actresses end up rolling on the floor in an over-the-top catfight that resolves in a passionate kiss...a kiss that would give most men heart attacks (perhaps women, too)! Deneuve and Ardant, two of Truffaut's lovers, a blonde and a brunette, green and red, elegant and sexy, hilarious and poignant... Here, Ozon shows off his mischievous genius! Hollywood has a thing or two to learn about how to use actresses in their 50s.
What becomes of Pierrette? How would a sequel to 8 femmes play out?
It would perhaps be wise to leave this brilliant piece of film art well alone. One should not tamper with perfection by doing a sequel. But the thought of further exploring the depth of some of these characters, and seeing the elegant Fanny Ardant as the seductive yet vulnerable Pierrette once again in one of the most appealing and successful roles of her career, is a temptation that is too hard to resist!
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